Light and Dark of the Day

I’m tucked into my little house on the back side of the mountain. The snow is flying but part of my heart is still in South Carolina, so bear with me while I write one more memory before I succumb to the frozen North.

We headed out with a mission of finding me “She-Crab” soup. I did a bit of digging and this local “Low Country” staple is composed of Atlantic Blue female crab meat with crab roe, lots of heavy cream and a small amount of sherry. It is thick and creamy and oh-so delicious!

The Stono Market & Tomato Shed Cafe was the place to go.Owner Babs Ambrose sums it up by saying, “We are farmers, shrimpers and darn good cooks!”  A small store and café at the front of was once a tomato packing plant provided the perfect setting for the area’s best She-crab soup and crab cake sandwich.

After lunch we headed to the Pockoy Island Trail on the Botany Bay Plantation. Steph wouldn’t tell me anything about where we were headed, waiting for the “OH WOW!” factor to kick in.  We parked and walked out the half mile to the beach. She was disappointed as it was low tide. I found more fascinating photo opportunities then I could shake a stick at.

A vulture over the salt marsh leading to the beach

The forest that is slowly giving way to the sea

There are not small trees.

The amazing beauty of nature unleashed

Do you see what I see? I see a Sea Monster! See the eye and face?

A Mountain Goat Ram??

You can not tell me you don’t see the crazy sea-horse here!

After a day of fantasy in nature, we headed back to the house to pick up the rest of the crew. We grabbed the ‘Moms’, Gloria and Stevie, and the six  of us set out for pizza and to visit the 24th Annual Holiday Festival of Lights at James Island County Park.  I will just paraphrase this with my photos of the parts of the light show along the three-mile drive that I was able to capture. Suffice to say, it was well worth the two bags of pet food donation and $10 a carload charged at the entrance. Hell, the people in trucks with lawn chairs in the back who were viewing it with us was well worth the price of admission!

The Bridge that Morphed! Too cool!

Phase 2 of the Bridge…right, too cool!!

Bubba Gump’s Shrimp Boat!

OK, my personal favorite for my friends back home in New Hampshire!

How can you not end with a Dragon reflected on the lake!  As I was writing this, and polishing off a bowl of peppermint ice cream with butterscotch sauce, listening to the fire crackle, I couldn’t help thinking…

Sometimes we have to look outside of our little everyday lives, to see the beauty both within and without!

Here’s to life on the planet of marshmallow ‘smores!